3 Pirates players on the 40-man roster who are fighting for a final roster spot

1. Peter Strzelecki

The Pirates purchased Peter Strzelecki from the Cleveland Guardians this past offseason. The right-hander has pitched in parts of the last three seasons, and has some solid numbers. Over the course of 83.2 innings, Strzelecki has a 3.44 ERA, 3.49 FIP, and 1.22 WHIP. His peripherals also back up his respectable numbers in his Major League career.

He has struck out 24% of the opponents he's faced with a walk rate of 8.4%. Strzelecki hasn't been home run-prone, either. He clocks in with an 0.65 HR/9 rate, along with a roughly league-average 88.5 MPH exit velocity and 7.8% barrel rate. While Strzelecki has a 4.24 xFIP, his SIERA is below 4.00 at 3.73, and he has a 100 Stuff+ mark (perfectly average).

Strzeleicki has pitched four innings out of the bullpen for the Pirates in spring training. He's only allowed one earned run with 4 Ks, but a pair of walks. However, he has made some velocity gains. Last year, his four-seamer sat at 92.2 MPH, but it is now up to 94 MPH. He has also added better ride to the pitch, with 16-17 inches of downward movement compared to 19.4 inches last year. His change-up and slider have both gained movement or velocity, and he has replaced his cutter and sinker with a sweeper.

Unlike Valdez or Bae, the Pirates have to make a choice with Strzelecki, as he has no options remaining. The competition for the final bullpen spot could be fierce. Along with Strzelecki, recent waiver acquisition Justin Lawrence is also out of options and has some interesting splits that could help him break out in 2025. 2024 rookie reliever Kyle Nicolas is also gunning for one of the final bullpen spots, but has options remaining. It would seem like somewhat of a waste to throw Strzelecki aside after he's shown some improved stuff in his pitch arsenal this spring.